


Always

by ChurchOfSeiros



Series: Rhealeth Week 2020 [1]
Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Drabble, F/F, Fluff, Lesbian Character, Making Love, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-02
Updated: 2020-11-02
Packaged: 2021-03-09 02:00:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27356899
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChurchOfSeiros/pseuds/ChurchOfSeiros
Summary: “You’ll stay by my side?” Rhea asks. She knows the answer, but she wants to hear it anyway.For Rhealeth Week 2020.
Relationships: My Unit | Byleth/Rhea
Series: Rhealeth Week 2020 [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1998007
Comments: 2
Kudos: 32





	Always

**Author's Note:**

> Day 1 prompt: "Wedding/Family"

“It isn’t fair.”

“I know.”

“Why must we suffer like this, for them? What have they ever done for us?”

“That does not matter.”

“If the tables were turned, they would not help us. They would leave us to burn.”

“Seiros.”

“Maybe we should let them burn, too.”

_“Seiros!”_

Seiros huffs, arms crossed, and sits with an audible thump. Every inch the scolded child, though she is far from a child. Sothis watches her with that familiar stern expression. Stern, but not angry. Never angry.

“You forget yourself, Seiros. You forget what our duty is.”

“I… I know it’s our duty. But I—”

“There are no buts. We are here to help and guide mankind, and if they call for our aid, we give it. Happily.” She places extra emphasis on that last word, and Seiros sighs.

“Why must we be so selfless, always? Is it so bad to want for ourselves, even once?”

“Come here, Seiros.”

Immediately, Seiros does. She stands from her flower-covered chair, approaches Sothis, and kneels at her side. She lays her head on Sothis’ lap, and Sothis’ gentle hand comes to tenderly pat at her hair. Like she did when she was a child. Like she’s always done.

“I understand your frustrations, my darling. But we must always be kind, even when it is not returned.”

“I… I know.”

“I know you do.”

Seiros closes her eyes, relaxing beneath that soothing touch. It’s impossible to do otherwise, resting on her mother’s lap like this.  
  


~ ☼ ~

“Rhea?”

Rhea blinks, shaken out of the deep reverie she had been in.

“I. Forgive me, my love, I was… lost in a memory.”

Byleth smiles at her. “I figured. You had that look in your eyes.”

They are resting in their quarters after a long, trying day. The restoration of the war-torn Fódlan was taking its toll on them both, but on Rhea in particular. She had already lived through a long restoration effort, after all. Though she smiled, it was plain to Byleth’s knowing eye that she was suffering, constantly plagued by painful memories. By ghosts. 

“What were you thinking of?”

“I thought of…” Rhea bites her lip, and inhales. “I thought of a time when I was quite young. I was frustrated by my siblings and I fighting and getting hurt to help end mankind’s wars. My mother scolded me. She told me that we must be kind and giving, always.”

Byleth takes one of Rhea’s hands and gently runs her thumb over the back of it. “That sounds like Sothis.”

“Seeing all of this reminds me of that time. Even then, I knew that we couldn’t be selfish, but deep down… I wanted to be.”

She looks away, predictably. Rhea has gotten better at exposing the uglier parts of herself to Byleth, but still feels deep shame over them.

“Rhea. Look at me,” Byleth says. Hesitantly, Rhea does. Byleth brings her hand to Rhea’s cheek.

“I know how you must feel. And you don’t have to hide it from me.”

“But I—”

“Shh,” Byleth whispers. She puts two fingers on Rhea’s lips for emphasis. “You don’t need to hold your emotions back around me. No matter what they are.”

Rhea laughs a bit, quietly. “It is very like you, to say that. Should I be selfish, then?”

“Right here, right now, yes.”  
  
Rhea shifts, crossing one leg over Byleth’s body so that she’s straddling her on their bed, and looks down at her with a slightly mischievous smile. “And you will indulge your selfish wife?”

Byleth puts her hands on Rhea’s waist, smiling, too. “Always.”

Rhea bends down to kiss her. She cups Byleth’s face and maneuvers her through their kiss, like she likes to do. Likes having things her way. And if Byleth wants to indulge her, well…

“Mm,” Byleth lets out, into Rhea’s mouth. They kiss deeply, but not roughly. Their mouths and tongues move in long, languid motions. Rhea enjoys kissing like this. Especially when she’s in this kind of mood.

Byleth shifts her body underneath her, and she moves down a bit so that she’s sitting on Byleth’s thighs. She grinds on them, back and forth, slowly. A sigh escapes her lips through their kiss as the tender pleasure begins to weave through her body.

Rhea pulls away to catch her breath, but continues the movement of her hips. “Only you would spoil me like this,” she teases.

Byleth grins. “Liar. You’ve been spoiled before,” she responds, playful.

“Now, what makes you say that?” She grinds just a little harder.

“Because you act spoiled.”

“How dare you!” She kisses her again, harder this time, and loves the tiny sound that Byleth makes when she takes her lips.

Her Byleth. But just as Byleth is hers, so too, is she Byleth’s.

When she pulls away again, Byleth is smiling and making those eyes. “I love you. My selfish, spoiled wife.”

“And I you, my ever-giving beloved.”

They kiss more. It isn’t long before their clothes are shed, and the light of the moon bathes the room in a silver light as they make love. Their bodies tangle, their hair painting the white sheets mint green. Rhea indulges, making the most of the way Byleth gives her all to her pleasure. When Byleth goads her, telling her to be louder, she acquiesces, moaning her name, moaning that she loves her.

Just before sunrise, they lay together, quietly looking into each other’s eyes, holding hands. “You’ll stay by my side?” Rhea asks. She knows the answer, but she wants to hear it anyway.

Byleth knows the meaning of the question, too. Knows very well of Rhea’s hatred of herself, of her fear of abandonment. Fear of loss.

“Always,” she answers, mirroring what she had said earlier. “We’re family now, Rhea.”

Byleth gives her a brief kiss, then lays back down, letting sleep take her. Family, Rhea repeats in her mind, allowing it to sink in. Just before she falls asleep, a tiny tear escapes her eye.


End file.
